Tag Archives: colorectal cancer

When I first came to Penang some forty plus years ago, I met a lawyer — let’s call him Mark. Since then we became friends.

About a year or so ago, Mark suddenly dropped by the centre — it had been many years since we last met. Mark was diagnosed with colon cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy at a hospital which is supposed to be the “best” in the country (one doctor told me this!).

After relating his story, Mark left. No, I did not give him any herbs. Neither did I give him any advice. This is because from our conversation, I sensed that Mark seemed to know what he was doing. And during our conversation Mark did not ask for any advice or help either. So I just left it at that.

One of our principles that we uphold at CA Care is this: If you are still on chemo or radiotherapy (or are planning to do chemo or radiotherapy) or are taking other treatments elsewhere, please go ahead and continue with these treatments first. Do not take our herbs yet. We do not wish to intervene.

If you have done everything and have nowhere else to go and need help, when you come to us, we shall try our best to help you.

In early March 2018, as I walked into our centre, someone greeted me but I could not recognise him, not until my wife told me that it was Mark who said hello. No, I was not being “arrogant” but Mark had “changed” a lot. He looked “much older”. Perhaps I should not say that. My faulth, because I did not put on my glasses that morning (but generally, I don’t need to do that!).

Briefly, this was what happened to Mark.

In 2016, Mark was diagnosed with cancer of the rectum. Surgery was not done. Mark was fitted with a colostomy bag.

In September / October 2016, Marked received 25 sessions of radiotherapy and 2 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFOX.

In early January 2017, Mark underwent a surgery. The tumour was removed. It was a moderately differentiated colo-rectal cancer, Stage B2.

On 3 August 2017, Mark had his stoma reversed and the colon rejoined. A colonoscopy was done a day before the reversal procedure. There was NO sign of malignancy.

Everything seemed okay.

Disaster — 30 January 2018. A follow up CT scan showed:

Tumour recurrence at the anataomosis site and 6.5 cm anal verge. Biopsy of anal verge done on 8 January 2018 showed NO malignancy.

Multiple ill-defined lesions at both lobes of liver – confirming the cancer has spread to his liver.

Extensive intraabdominal and pelvic lymphadenopathy.

Bone metastasis — both iliac bones, both sacral alae, right and left femoral heads were invaded by the cancer.

The cancer is now TxN2bM1b — call it Stage 4 if you like.

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In an earlier posting, I wrote about AB who had Stage 3 cancer. She declined chemotherapy and opted for the CA Care Therapy. It has been three years and she is still doing great. Mark had Stage 2 cancer — appeared to be less “dangerous” than AB’s cancer — but problems appeared within less than two years of treatment.

Do you ever ask why? Medical treatments for cancer are supposed to be proven and scientific — but why the metastasis so soon and so seriously?

Herbs and alternative therapies are supposed to be unscientific and unproven — yet patients like AB did so well.

Take time to understand the implications of the following quotations:

Dr. Richard Horton is the Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, a very prestigious medical journal. In 2015 he wrote this:

A lot of what is published is incorrect ….The case against science is straightforward: much of the scientific literature, perhaps half, may simply be untrue.

Afflicted by studies with small sample sizes, tiny effects, invalid exploratory analyses, and flagrant conflicts of interest, together with an obsession for pursuing fashionable trends of dubious importance, science has taken a turn towards darkness.

… conflicts of interest and biases exist in virtually every field of medicine, particularly those that rely heavily on drugs or devices. It is simply no longer possible to believe much of the clinical research that is published, or to rely on the judgment of trusted physicians or authoritative medical guidelines.

I take no pleasure in this conclusion, which I reached slowly and reluctantly over my two decades as an editor of The New England Journal of Medicine.

One result of the pervasive bias is that physicians learn to practice a very drug-intensive style of medicine. Even when changes in lifestyle would be more effective, doctors and their patients often believe that for every ailment and discontent there is a drug.

PY is a 57-yer old male. He passed out blood in his stools. Unfortunately the doctor told PY there was nothing to worry about. “You look healthier than I am” the doctor assured PY. But it was not to be. A colonoscopy on 19 May 2014, indicated cancer of the rectum.

Initially the surgeon told PY that since it was a Stage 2 cancer follow up chemotherapy was optional. It was up to PY if he wanted to undergo the treatment or not. However, later the surgeon came to another conclusion – PY needed chemotherapy after all.

AK was 70 years old when she came to seek our help. Sometime in March 2001 she had abdominal pains for about 2 week’s duration and she passed out blood in her stools. She went to a private hospital and did a colonoscopy. There was a 15 cm tumour at the anal verge. She was admitted into the hospital on 12 April 2001 and underwent a surgery.

She recovered well and was discharged on 20 April 2001. She was subsequently referred to an oncologist for further management. She refused chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Instead she came to see us on 13 May 2001 and presented with the following:

She had difficulty sleeping. She slept only after mid-night.

She had no appetite.

She was tired.

She was constipated.

Her urine was yellow.

Her stomach felt bloated.

A week after the herbs she improved.

Her sleep was better. She could sleep early now.

Her appetite had improved.

She was less tired.

Her bowel movements had improved.

Her urine was less yellow.

Her body was itchy.

On 4 November 2001 (see the video) she reported the following:

She could sleep well.

She had good appetite.

She felt “cheng sin” and “song” (increased energy and wellbeing).

Her stomach was not bloated any more – no more wind.

Her body was not itchy anymore.

Her bowel movements were normal.

It has been many years since this visit. We have virtually forgotten her case. AK’s daughter came to collect herbs for her mother every now and then but did not sit out with us for any further consultation.

On 22 July 2009 her daughter came to collect herbs for her mother and informed us that AK was doing fine. It is 8 years 2 months since she first came to see us. We are indeed surprised. AK has Stage 3 rectal cancer that had spread to the lymph node. She refused to undergo chemotherapy / radiotherapy. And she is still doing fine.

On 8 September 2009 her daughter came to collect herbs for her mother. She confirmed the following:

After her operation, AK did not undergo any further medical treatment – no chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

AK did not taking any other mediation apart from our herbs. And she is taking it up to this day.

It has been more than 8 years and she is doing fine, for a person of 78 years old.